GMAT Study and MBA Admissions: Big Decisions in June

As we approach the midpoint of 2016, many GMATers look to plan out the next three to six months of their lives with the goal of applying to top business schools. Since MBA admissions deadlines for most schools are still at least three months away, you likely don’t feel any ‘pressure’ to devise a plan and put it in motion just yet. You might be researching which GMAT materials to use or thinking about taking a practice computer-adaptive test (CAT); you might even be actively researching which top business schools you plan to apply to. Regardless of which point in the process you find yourself at, June is a great time to make some big choices about how you will study for the GMAT and when to apply to business school – decisions that will have a big impact on your future.

If you’re in the early phase of your GMAT studies (or thinking about starting soon):

Firstly, you can read a previous blog post on TopMBA.com, which provides essential insights into how you should plan your studies.

For applicants who are unsure about which round of MBA admissions they should apply in:

Here’s a question that I hope will be unnecessary: What is more important, making the first round deadline in an MBA admissions cycle or increasing your odds of receiving an invite to the top business schools in which you are most interested?

You might be surprised how many applicants make the mistake of ‘rushing’ an MBA admissions application, when with a couple of additional months of preparation, those same applicants could have put together a much stronger overall application for the next round. While it might sound like a cliché, you only have one chance to make a great first impression – and if that great first impression happens during the second round of applications, then that’s almost certainly still going to work in your favor.

If you plan to apply to some of the top business schools, then you might also want to work with an MBA admissions expert; that, too, takes some forward-thinking and planning. As we get closer to application deadlines, those experts become really busy – the more lead-time you have to work on your applications, the more likely it is that the MBA admissions experts are able to give you the specific guidance that you need to craft a fantastic application.

For those looking at a round two deadline (or later, including a year or more away):

If you’re reading this article and looking that far ahead, then you’re one of a small percentage of people who really think ahead – which is good. Considering how busy most GMATers’ lives are - trying to juggle studying for the GMAT while working on applications AND having a full-time job, life, family, etc. – the process can sometimes be overwhelming. Right now, you can isolate the GMAT and work on just that. With a few months of consistent, guided study, you can lock up a high, competitive GMAT score and then work on the other parts of your applications later on.

Remember that every part of this process is standardized and predictable, so you don’t have to stumble through it on your own. There are experts at every point in the process who can help you to succeed.